Part One: SEERAH (Biographical Sketch) CHAPTER

C:\Users\Admin\Dropbox\The Message - Material of Maulana\16. Books and Review\Apa's Books\Life And 41 doctrine of predestination which means that everything good or bad is decided by God) and in the Life after Death. A true believer is required not only to testify to his faith by word of mouth (Shahadah bil Lisan) but also to accept it with all his heart and soul. The Spirit of Salah The spirit of these daily five prayers is humility. One who bows before his Creator in the true spirit will be devoid of pride and ego. The prayers are prescribed for five times throughout the day—at daybreak, noon, midafternoon, sunset, and evening. The prayers consist of recitations from the Quran and glorification of God. These are accompanied by a sequence of movements: standing, bowing, kneeling, touching the ground with one’s forehead, and sitting. Worshippers face the Kabah while offering the prayers. Muslims have been advised in the Quran to be steadfast in their prayer (29:45) for prayer keeps away indecency and evil. One who performs his prayer in its true spirit cannot become forgetful of God after his prayer is over. The actions of prayer are a manifestation of the fact that one’s heart is full of fear and love for God. Therefore, if prayers are said in their true spirit, one’s prayer will surely fend off indecency and evil and, by purifying the worshipper’s soul, serve to bring him closer to God. The Spirit of Fasting The Arabic term for fasting is ‘Sawm’ which means to abstain. It is aimed at detaching oneself from the world and devoting one’s life entirely to God (73:8). The outer sign of fasting is the abstention from food from morning till evening. But in its essence it is to withdraw from all worldly attachments, and reduce all mundane necessities to a minimum. This fasting aims at weakening the material aspect of man and strengthening the spirituality in him. Man is made up of body and soul. Just as the body requires physical nourishment, so must the soul be nourished spiritually. To be sure, fasting results in physical discomfort. But God has nothing to gain from causing human beings unnecessary trouble and man has to satisfy his material needs; but if he wants to discover the truth it is essential, at least for a few fixed days, to retire from the material world in